Donald Trump's most childish habits1:18

He's super smart and has loads of really rich famous friends. Meet the child stuck inside a president's body.

January 10th 2018

a year ago

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President Donald Trump in the White House Oval Office. His first year has prompted some extraordinary media coverage. Pictures: AP Photo/Andrew HarnikSource:AP

THE saying goes that Donald Trump’s first year as US President has been a victory for two main groups — comedians and journalists.

Mr Trump himself has commented on the “huge ratings” that US broadcasters have enjoyed since he became president.

The LA Times reports that Fox News finished 2017 as the most-watched cable network, up eight per cent, with an average of 1.5 million viewers.

MSNBC finished third among its cable competitors with 890,000 viewers, up 48 per cent to reach a new high, while CNN finished sixth with 783,000, up 4 per cent.

Most networks experience a ratings dip after a full year of election campaign coverage but the appetite of viewers has been even more insatiable.

Similarly, newspapers and magazines have seen an upswing in circulation driven by a desire to keep on top of the latest Trump moves.

The year has also produced some clever and colourful front pages.

TRUMP ELECTED

Donald Trump becoming US president was once such a preposterous suggestion that The Simpsons spoofed the whole idea back in 2000.

The Sun shows the election of Donald Trump which was a Simpsons joke until it happened. Picture: The SunSource:Supplied

TURNBULL COPS A SERVE

Australian newspapers had a field day when news emerged that Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had been on the receiving end of a terse Donald Trump phone call in early February. Mr Trump decried the refugee swap they were discussing as a “dumb deal” and the discussion itself as “the worst call by far” of his day.

The Herald Sun cover from Friday, February 3.Source:Supplied

TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE

The Economist took a look at the seemingly cosy relationship between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2017, long before Robert Mueller’s Russia probe was announced, asking ‘Can it end well?’

The Economist looks at the cosy relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Picture: The EconomistSource:Supplied

SWINGING AND MISSING

The Economist pictured Donald Trump’s presidency deep in a sand trap back in April 2017 just three months after his inauguration. Mr Trump was already being criticised for playing too much golf while his administration was attacked for failing to do much in its first 100 days in office.

The Economist pictures Donald Trump in a sand bunker. Picture: The EconomistSource:Supplied

TRUMP’S SYRIA INTERVENTION

Mr Trump’s decision to bomb a Syrian airfield in April after reports that the country’s dictator Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons against his own people was interpreted as a sign that the US would continue to take an interventionist approach to world affairs.

Daily Telegraph from April 11, 2017.Source:Supplied

TRUMP NOT ABOVE THE LAW

In his first 100 days, Mr Trump signed 30 executive orders — more than any other president in history. However, he encountered obstacles from the courts, including with his travel ban which initially tried to block immigrants from mostly Muslim countries. Mother Jones memorably captured the fraught relationship between Mr Trump and Lady Justice.

Mother Jones took a look at Donald Trump and his travel ban. Picture: Mother JonesSource:Supplied

TRUMP CALLED A LAZY BOY

By the six-month point of his presidency, many felt that Mr Trump was still yet to achieve much and Newsweek ran a controversial headline calling him ‘Lazy Boy’. It pointed out that while he had spent 40 days at golf clubs he had yet to pass any major legislation.

Newsweek’s verdict on at Trump after six months in office with no major pieces of legislation passed. Picture: News WeekSource:Supplied

TRUMP GETS BOOST FROM TAX TALK

Undoubtedly the biggest achievement from Mr Trump’s first year is his tax reform, which has sent the share market to record highs on most days.

After a man allegedly ran down a group in Charlottesville, Virginia, protesting against a white supremacist rally, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others, Mr Trump was accused of fanning the flames. He refused to use the term “white supremacists” and said there was “some very fine people” on both sides of the protest. The New Yorker and The Economist captured how his comments emboldened the Ku Klux Klan.

The New Yorker and The Economist took on Donald Trump's response to Charlottesville. Picture: The New Yorker, The EconomistSource:Supplied

TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE STARTS TO RESEMBLE SURVIVOR

With a number of key departures, including White House press secretary Sean Spicer, chief of staff Reince Priebus and communications director Anthony Scaramucci (after just 10 days), and Steve Bannon, the New York Post mused about who would manage to outwit, outplay and outlast the rest of the Trump administration.

After firing FBI director James Comey, Mr Trump started feeling the heat when news emerged that his son Donald Jr and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian operatives during the election campaign who claimed to have dirt on his presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Mr Trump maintains he never colluded with the Russians to win the election.

The New Yorker shows an angry Donald Trump with Jared Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. Picture: The New YorkerSource:Supplied

TRUMP BACKS ACCUSED CHILD MOLESTER

The New York Post and Daily News both had similar takes on Donald Trump’s support for accused child molester Roy Moore’s bid to replace Jeff Sessions in Alabama. Despite numerous, credible accounts from women, alleging sexual misconduct against them by Mr Moore, some while they were underage, Mr Trump continued to back him. The seat fell to the Democrats for the first time since 1986.

The New York Post and Daily News had a similar take on Donald Trump supporting Roy Moore. Picture New York Post, Daily NewsSource:Supplied

WOLFF BOOK DEPICITS TRUMP AS MENTALLY UNFIT

The Week captured much of the content from the 336 pages of Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House in one clever illustration. It shows his Chief of Staff General John Kelly babysitting Mr Trump as he has a Twitter tantrum. Mr Trump is seen watching Fox News from a play pen which includes his very own Kim Jong-un doll.

The Week looks at Michael Wolff's book on Donald Trump and whether he is mentally stableSource:Supplied

TRUMP WRITES OFF STEVE BANNON

The Daily News uses the term “cuck”, often adopted by the so-called alt-right to describe a man with no self-respect, to illustrate the fall out between Donald Trump and his former highly-trusted chief strategist following Steve Bannon’s comments in Michael Wolff’s book.

The Daily News examines the fall out between Donald Trump and Steve Bannon. Picture: Daily NewsSource:Supplied

TRUMP STEPS IN IT

After reports surfaced that Mr Trump used the phrase “s**thole countries” when referred to immigrants from Haiti and African nations, the Daily News refused to pull any punches with its front page calling the president “s**t for brains”.

The Economist reflected on Mr Trump’s first year in office showing him as a one year old baby. By the time this cover was printed, Michael Wolff’s book had reported that many in the White House felt like they had to babysit Mr Trump during 2017.

The Economist pictures Donald Trump as a one year old baby in its year-end reflective. Picture: The EconomistSource:Supplied

TRUMP SPENDS YEAR PUTTING OUT FIRES

Time magazine has depicted Mr Trump on its cover numerous times during the year. First he was suffering from a ‘meltdown’, then a ‘total meltdown’ and in its year end issue, he was shown with his hair on fire. Artist Edel Rodriguez said his cover was meant to show how “you wake up every day and try to figure out where’s the next fire”.

Time magazine’s continuing series of Trump covers, from “Meltdown” to “Total Meltdown” to this week’s “Year One.” pic.twitter.com/6zBJlohRj3